Holy shit. I was on the subway today, and there was this scary old man holding three VHS tapes, looking them over. He had just bought them from a place--as the logo on his bag told me-- called something like "Entertainment Emporium." I don't remember the exact name, but it said 40th Street as the address, which was close to where we both got on the train.

I really wondered what this guy's life was like--at least 70 years old, out on a Wednesday afternoon buying VHS movies, and who knows what else--it was a big bag with lots of bulk to it. He had the tapes resting on top when he put them back in.

Off subject: Jere, I had a dream the other night that you told me to meet Chan (who I know nothing about except that he pops up on your blog with a blue dot on his face... I think he is your roommate?). So we were at the street corner in the town I grew up in and there he was with you and Jene and some other people... Then a giant mack truck tipped over and was sliding towards us. We all got out of the way. There was some worry about it exploding but we were fine and then the dream changed direction and I was off somewhere else... Very random and kind of crazy. Just thought I'd mention it. Be on the lookout for wayward big rigs just in case.

Nope. I said 16, not 61. Oh, wait, you were going for the "he said 'more than 16, maybe he means the film is called 17" theory. Very nice work--and good for some tenths--but I can assure you, 16 was just a random number (that's lower than the age of the film. In years.)

Shut! Up! Mel, you rock! The one sister who never knows our pop-culture/movie references pulls "Electric Grandmother" out of left field!?! Amazing! (I don't even think she has ever watched Star Wars all the way through.)

I'd say she's a very good Googler. I tried Googling it several different ways and she still out-Googled me.

I am not sure why it is commonly thought that you and I are the closest in age considering you've got 4 years on me and she only has 1 on you. I think you got a "bum deal"* by being the only boy cousin and I got the other "bum deal"* by being the youngest cousin by a landslide... we kind of got lumped together. But I am glad about all of it. (* Not really a "bum deal" on either count, but you know what I mean.)

Yeah, I know what you mean, Kara. Also, with Mel's blatant ostracization of me (see above-ha!), you were essentially the closest to me. Is it really four years, though? I thought 2 or 3. Then again, I do have clear memories of the "three New Hampshire cousins," and then you, the fourth, came along. So, yeah, I guess I coulda been four years old by then.

STJ: Sorry about the confusion on the 89-90 thing. I said "more than 16," so it really coulda been from any era before 90. It was like 82 I think.